(We approached high school much like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.)
Alice spent millennia condensed into a breath
Shrinking and growing to move from all else ahead
For the sole purpose of slaying the Jabberwocky
Never for the search yet always destined to sublimity
(Alice was us. Alice was you. Yes, you.)
High school is a wonderland we wander astray
With an attempt to figure out the impossible today
And tomorrow has the rest of our lives for that
Wonderland is a stumbling ground, a herald of start
Our knobbly knees trip on stepping stones
Our fearsome flaws reach our skin, our bones
Our guides then unfold something far more revelatory
Realizing all your ugly is a beautiful discovery
You don’t have to shrink or grow into your problem’s mass
The minds of learners transcend beyond Wonderland
You don’t have to be as big or as mighty as the Jabberwock
The hearts of every Alice are large enough to carry the sword
(Long live, Alice. You will soon outrun the rust.)
Please give a detailed explanation about the meaning and main idea of this poem.
The core of the poem is Alice in Wonderland and its pillar is my personal yet relatable high school experience. In the poem, it is explicitly stated that Alice was us, Alice was you, as everyone had gone or has to go through Wonderland despite how little we feel like becoming—akin to the high school experience. Jabberwocky, on the other hand, is a monster depicting encountered misfortunes. The last sentence is inspired by Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), where time rust takes over, which can be left up to interpretation but it is mainly trying to signify college life, a new stage to brace.
Please explain your writing and thought process regarding this poem.
I had a faint reminiscent of what kids felt during fever, describing it as surrounding objects suddenly appearing smaller or larger in size, either experiencing this weird sensation in dreams or in real life, making it similar to Alice’s initial part of her trip in Wonderland. As a twelfth grader, the entirety of my high school experience also felt like a hell of a fever dream, so I pieced two of my thoughts together to create the poem.
Why did you choose to write this poem?
Writing is a form of catharsis. I attempted purging all of my high school sorrows and bitterness, the good parts, and everything in between by integrating another story albeit fictional. Using fiction as my metaphor, this is my true-to-life take.
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